https://www.facebook.com/100762946143242/

A Not So Typical World

Home
United States
Chaska, MN
A Not So Typical World

This blog is about my family’s journey with our mental health and our son autism diagnosis.

09/18/2023

Just got back yesterday from the More Than a Caregiver Respite Retreat at Moon Beach in St. Germain, Wisconsin. It gave a chance for 99+ woman to take a breath and reset surrounded by nature and others that understand our struggles like no one else in our life’s because they live that life too. I came home to my family refreshed and more open. Thank you to my husband for pushing me-to even have the courage to go and to friends that made it possible for me to even get there. Also a big thank you to Kate from Finding Cooper's Voice and Amanda from Jackson's Journey, Jackson's Voice for founding the The More Than Project that make retreats like this one possible.

09/01/2023

I haven’t posted since before the beginning of summer and now school is about to start on Tuesday…so I guess this is our family update 😊

I want to share about our experience this summer that changed my life and probably the life of our children. I have had a hard time processing what we went though but now that it’s over, here we go.

We spent the first part of the summer packing for our apartment renovation that turned out to be a lot more stressful and expensive than what was expected.

We had to live in an extended stay hotel closer to Minneapolis. It was actually, in what a came to realize later, in one of the most underserved areas in the area. I was expecting us to be in a place that not only let us have our cats with us, but a place that let us live like we were at home while our apartment was being upgraded. It wasn’t, but at least it let us have our cats.

I had to adjust my mindset because we were surrounded by people that were much worse off than us. We had no where else to go for 25 days. Others that were there had no where else to go…period.

We were first hand witnesses to things that most middle class people only hear about on the local evening news, and then get forgotten about the next morning. This was every single day we were there.

In between the chaos we meet some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. They helped us with our kids and shared plenty of laughs and became like family. These are people that we might have never talked to in our life from before. These people are the reason why we didn’t lose our sanity while in transition.

Some people asked me why we didn’t leave when we realized we were in a dangerous part of town. My answer sadly was we didn’t have a choice unless we were willing to give up our cats. That wasn’t an option. Any family that we have locally wasn’t willing to help, and the family that was willing was too far away.

That experience was life changing, and even though by choice I would never do that again, I still feel like it was an experience worth having. The experience made me mentally tougher and it really made me appreciate the life I have.

Now that we are back into our normal routine and in our new place that looks absolutely amazing, I’m still having trouble adjusting back to myself and maybe that’s ok. I’m different but eventually I’ll be better.

05/23/2023

We had a great weekend and a wonderful Monday!

What all these days have in common was one thing, Water!

We all love being near the water and swimming so living across the street from a beach is great for the summer.

Water is incredibly therapeutic for Aaron so we were fortunate that he was pretty much born swimming.

We spent all of Saturday afternoon at the lake across the street from our home!

Aaron lasted almost 5 hours 😲

We got home and we were all burnt and tired but I couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Then the kids went swimming again on Sunday and then once more today after school.

I really hope this pattern continues this summer!

05/17/2023

The 5th grade adaptive 50 meter from Track and Field Day yesterday. Aaron is the kid in the middle with the navy blue shirt. His para was awesome preparing all the kids.

05/17/2023

Today I was able to attend Aaron’s track and field day. I was nervous that he would not want to participate.

But look at him in the front of a line with his classmates behind him, perfectly happy to be there. Getting ready to play a football rely race with 5th graders from all seven elementary schools in our school district.

He didn’t try to go home with me. He was able to finish the field trip, and ride the bus back to school.

I love seeing the amount of progress he’s made in the last year.

Before this school year he refused any group activities at school. This year I only had to keep him home for one field trip.

This is proof that if you keep working on skills progress will happen ❤️

05/15/2023

Today was Mothers Day and I wasn’t feeling it.

I woke up way too early because I was depressed. No matter what I did I I couldn’t shake my confused sadness.

Tried to put on a brave face for the kids but I had to hide and sob in the bathroom a few times this morning.

Aaron and I fought and Betty got upset.

They were feeling my sad energy I was trying to mask.

I know part of the depression I was facing was missing my mom.

She been gone for 9 years but Mother’s Day is still bitter sweet.

But there is more.

There’s always been more.

I recently had some mental health issues validated and now they are being treated.

I don’t feel comfortable talking about the specifics, but I know talking about this is important.

It’s amazing to learn more about myself over these last few months and it feels great to know that I can get help for these conditions.

I know I need to to more to keep the depressive issues at bay.

I need to stop isolating myself.

I need to ask for help outside my family.

This didn’t ruin Mothers Day by any means, but it definitely affected the way I’m going I treat myself moving forward.

03/31/2023

Why the heck is it easier to purchase an assault rifle than it is to get my sons controlled med transferred to another pharmacy when that med is out of stock?!?!?

I was told if there were any issues to go to the ER since my doctors office is closed on the weekends.

Um..hello?!? They won’t give him the med he needs at the emergency room!

And no we don’t go to a pharmacy that gives us what we need in emergency.

So I guess he won’t be at school on Monday.

I was really hoping for a good end to Spring Break.

03/27/2023

It’s the first Monday for my kids spring break.

We aren’t going on any vacations or family trips when most of our friends are.

To say that I don’t feel envy that our family’s school breaks look different from most other families is a lie because I would love to take an elaborate trip right now but…

A trip would just be too overwhelming for our family when there wouldn’t be enough time to allow for decompression before the kids would go back to school.

Aaron needs that decompression so I try my best to meet him where he is at.

He’s having a hard time right now trying to catch his brain up to his growing body so a spring break at home is our best option.

But this post purpose is to show what a good day we’ve had despite having to take it easy for this break.

We live in Minnesota so it not very warm but the weather, even though not perfect, was nice enough to get outside and play.

Aaron is a homebody and prefers to stay inside, but my daughter asked to walk to the park across the street from us, and Aaron was very happy to join us.

We didn’t stay long but I set my iPhone timer for one hour. That gives me a reminder to push for him to be out a little bit longer than he prefers, and gives his sister more time to play.

Aaron didn’t ask to go home until the timer only had about 5 more minutes to go!! This is a big win for us since we’ve been in a harder season and I only had to tell him, “Just 5 more minutes!”

So then we walked home and grabbed some Dunkin’ on the way!

I don’t know how the rest of this break will go but I just wanted to show off this win 💜💜

02/09/2023

I wish people knew more about how hard it is to find something for our children with different abilities to do outside of therapy, school or our homes.

Today I’m hyper-focused on the limited or non
existent amount of organized activities that are available for my son with autism.

When there is an adaptive activity that’s available you have got to jump on it quickly because it’s going to fill up fast but sometimes I can’t afford it financially to sign up immediately.

Or I can afford it but it’s to far away.

Or sadly it becomes unavailable because special needs parents are sometimes too scared to sign up because it’s easier to keep our children home and not be a burden to other people.

Because we are reminded everyday how our children are difficult.

I get frustrated hearing friends of mine with typical children saying they are overwhelmed because of the amount of activities available for their children and then they don’t know what to pick.

I’m not frustrated with those people individually. I’m frustrated that I’ve got all the options in the world for my daughter to explore anything she wants, but barely any for my son.

So I definitely see both sides to this because my children are in two different worlds.

The typical world and…the not-so-typical world.

Address

800 Walnut Place # 119
Chaska, MN
55318

Telephone

+16512690112

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when A Not So Typical World posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to A Not So Typical World:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Chaska?

09/18/2023

09/01/2023

05/23/2023

05/17/2023

05/17/2023

05/15/2023

03/31/2023

03/27/2023

02/09/2023

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share